Wow! It’s the middle of July already. Make the most of your summer. At Vinna Human Resources we are busy working with employees and their leaves. MN Paid Leave has given employees an opportunity to get paid for leaves they may have taken anyways. The State is getting quicker in responding to the applications. They have also made it easier to correct errors and report application updates. We are truly working closely with employees so that they not only return to work but stay for a long time.
We have heard success stories, like without MN Paid Leave we would not have been able to put food on our table. This program is not all bad. My personal feeling is that it is too generous with benefits and time. Things will settle down and employers will be able to really see what kind of effect it will have on the bottom line and any other rippling effects we will see.
The premium for the second quarter of 2026 is due by July 31st. We do expect to hear what the premium will be for 2027 soon. There is a statute mandated cap on the premium of 1.02%. Our next month’s article will be written by Tamara Swenson of Vinna Human Resources on Leave Administration. She will include factual statistics that we have experienced. Please watch for that information to come in August. We are also preparing a MN Paid Leave survey for employers to complete and return, our mission is to hear how you are being affected by MNPL.
Final ESST Rules from DOLi
We have received a final rule for ESST that looks promising for employers who have seen some misuse of ESST. (These are only a few pieces of the final rule)
- An employee repeatedly used ESST on their scheduled workday immediately before or after a scheduled day off, vacation or holiday.
- An employee repeatedly used increments of ESST of less than 30 minutes at the start of end of a scheduled shift.
- An employee used ESST on a day for which the employer previously denied the employee’s request to take other paid leave.
- Documentation or other evidence that conflicts with the employee’s claimed use of ESST.
More information to come on the final ESST rule.
Have fun at work and stay safe. Look out for each other.
Nancy